Broadway Baptist Church,
As some of you know, in between my time ministering in Elizabethtown and Shelbyville, Emily and I attended here as guests for about two months. During that time, we were greeted warmly every week, welcomed into Broadway’s community, and ministered to through worship each week. When God called us out to serve in Shelbyville, we left thinking how wonderful this congregation was, and what a blessing it might be to worship and serve here. Little did we know that fifteen months later, God would call me back, to serve as the Minister with Youth, and we have again been a part of the wonderful community of faith for the past three years.
One thing I have learned is that God’s call on our lives is not stagnant. God continues to call us in different ways throughout our faith journey. This is an act of love and of grace, that God does not call us and then leave us to drift on our own. But there are times when that call can be bittersweet. This is where Emily and I find ourselves now. After a personal discernment process that began many months ago, I accepted a call to be the next Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of York, SC, which means that my last Sunday as Associate Pastor here at Broadway will be October 2.
As I look back on my time here, I realize that I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. You allowed me time to finish seminary. You have given me the opportunity to try new things in ministry. You have trusted me with your youth on trips across oceans, and to different states in our own country. You saw and affirmed gifts I possessed that I could not have seen myself, through ordination. You helped welcome my daughter into this world, and taught her that church was a place where she is loved and accepted. You have been patient with me as I’ve learned to be both a dad and a minister. You have given me the opportunity to see your youth grow into leaders and young adults, and granted me the privilege of working with them on a weekly basis. You have given me far more than I could hope to have given you. You as a congregation have shaped me as a minister, as a person, and as a disciple, and for you and your ministry, I am grateful.
As we both move forward, I am confident that Broadway will continue to minister with excellence to those within her walls, and those in her surrounding communities. Broadway has many exciting opportunities on the horizon, and while I am disappointed that I will not be able to play an active role in those opportunities, I feel strongly that these opportunities will further help Broadway to most effectively fulfill her mission: to learn, live, and proclaim Christ’s message of grace, hope, and love through worship, fellowship, and service. Broadway will always be a home to Emily, Tessa, and me. For Broadway, for each of you, and for the grace of God’s call, I give thanks.
In Christ,
Chris Liles